tool name
closeJohnson makes up ground, but not enough for the win
JIM UTTER / The Charlotte Observer
Saturday, May. 19, 2007
CONCORD, N.C. – Hendrick Motorsports’ dominance of the Nextel Cup Series so far this season hit a $1 million roadblock on Saturday night.
Jimmie Johnson rallied from the back to the rear bumper of Kevin Harvick’s No. 29 Chevrolet, but couldn’t get any further as Harvick held off Johnson to win the NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and its $1 million first prize.
Entering the weekend, Hendrick drivers Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch have won eight of the season’s first 11 races.
The all-star race was a different story, with Busch and Hendrick driver Casey Mears wrecking out early and Gordon having to pit late with a flat right-rear tire.
That left Johnson alone to contend for the win.
“It was an awesome race,” said Johnson, a two-time all-star race winner. “We were close. We had some problems in the beginning of the night that really hurt our track position.
“To be able to come to the back and work our way to the front and race for the win. I’m very proud of this team.”
Johnson appeared to have a car capable of running with Harvick after he finally passed Mark Martin for second place. But lap after lap, Harvick hugged the bottom of the track, forcing Johnson to go high in an attempt to pass.
“The track didn’t really have an outside groove until late. I may have made up some more ground if I had got up to the top (of the groove) a little earlier,” Johnson said.
“I tried on the last lap and it finally was there. In the beginning of the race the outside groove really wasn’t working. I hope that’s not the case come next Sunday night (in the Coca-Cola 600).”
Johnson ran into trouble early when a problem with his front springs started producing a tire rub. Luckily with the race split in four 20-lap segments, Johnson and his team were able to work on the issue during a caution between Segments 1 and 2 and a 10-minute break between Segments 2 and 3.
“The balance of the car from corner entry to the exit (of a turn) was so different, than I knew something was wrong from the start and it wasn’t driving like it was in practice,” Johnson said.
“We figured out what was wrong under the caution and then we actually went too far (in correcting it). On the last (pit) stop the car was much, much closer to what we needed.”
Even Martin, who finished third, was impressed with Johnson’s effort.
After sticking his head in Johnson’s car, Martin was asked what he said. His answer: “I told him he was one hell of a race car driver.”